Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South WalesOxley, John
History
Journals of Two Expeditions into the Interior of New South Wales
Oxley, John
New South Wales -- Discovery and exploration; Oxley, John, 1783-1828
July 29.--At day-light sent a man on horseback to search for our missing
companions up the river, as we thought we had heard a musquet in that
direction in reply to one of ours. The man shortly returned, having met
with two men whom I had seen yesterday looking for their horses; they
had been joined by Mr. Cunningham, and had encamped about half a mile
higher up the stream than ourselves: of Mr. Evans's party, consisting
besides himself of five men, they had heard or seen nothing, nor had
they fallen in with any of their marks. At half-past eight o'clock I
proceeded with the horses up the river to join the two men, expecting
also that Mr. Evans would certainly return downwards when he found that
we did not join him. It was twelve o'clock before we found him, and we
then proceeded up the river, whilst one man and myself went to a clear
hill in the range of Mount Byng, and from which we expected a good
prospect. We passed over a large plain, washed by the river; the soil, a
stiff red clayey loam, long parched by drought; the sides of the hill
light red sandy loam. Small blue gum-trees, box, cypress, and a
multitude of acacia shrubs of various species, were the usual
productions of the drier and more elevated grounds.
Our expectations of an extensive prospect from the top of the hill were
not disappointed: we had a distinct view round the compass. The river
wound close under the foot of the hill, and trending to the south-east
through low marshy grounds covered with atriplex bushes and the acacia
pendula, evidently and distinctly showed that it originated in the
separated branches of the Lachlan, which it is probable united fifteen
or twenty miles below Mount Cunningham, forming the present stream. The
north-east side of the river was equally low and marshy. All the points
which had been set at Mount Cunningham were distinctly recognised, and
bearings being now taken to them, served to correct and prove the
survey. The bearings taken from this hill, named Piper's Hill, were as
follows by the theodolite:
Mount Cunningham E. 9 deg. 20 min. S.
Mount Meyrick S. 67 10 E.
Mount Maude S. 62 0 E.
Table Hill S. 4 30 E.
Line of Mount Byng,
called Watson Taylor's range E. 7 0 W.
Mount Granard N. 79 0 W.
Mount Barrer N. 68 0 W.
about the same distance as Mount Granard.
Extreme of a high range from N. 59 1/2 W., to N. 24 1/2 W.;
nearest extreme distance about thirty miles, westward 45.
Extremes of another range from N. 10. W., to N. 2. W.,
about twelve miles long; another range, N. 3. E. to N. 50 1/2 E
Hurd's Peak, N. 72. E.; a mount north of it (Mount Hawkins),
N. 71. 15. E.; a distant one, N. 86 1/2 E (Mount Riley).
Low ranges in N. 44. E., N. 35. E. and N. 26 1/2 E.,
all the intermediate spaces being low level land.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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